The Connect initiative is part of "Aspire: A Plan for Princeton," the University's five-year comprehensive fundraising campaign, now in its third year.

"To sustain and strengthen Princeton's excellence in teaching, learning, leadership and service, we depend on the involvement of all our alumni," said President Shirley M. Tilghman. "We deeply appreciate the diversity of our alumni body and the many contributions black alumni have made to Princeton. We look forward to working with them to create even more opportunities to participate in the life of the University and help shape the Princeton of the future."

University trustee emeritus Brent Henry (left), a 1969 alumnus, and trustee Dennis Brownlee, a 1974 alumnus, are co-chairs of the 14-member steering committee that will drive the Connect initiative. (Photo: Andrea Kane)

University trustee Dennis Brownlee, a 1974 alumnus, and trustee emeritus Brent Henry, a 1969 alumnus, are co-chairs of the 14-member steering committee that will drive the Connect initiative, along with a 25-member advisory committee.

"The University has changed, but there's a lot of change yet to be done," said Brownlee. "We have to take ownership of our Princeton experience and give back, for the sake of the students who are here now and the students yet to come."

Nearly 3,300 alumni (87 percent undergraduate and 13 percent graduate alumni) have identified themselves as black or African American, either through the University's Office of the Registrar or a recent Alumni Directory survey. More than half of them (54 percent) graduated in the classes of 1990 to 2008.

Since then, Princeton has further expanded its commitment to diversity. The core faculty of the center has grown from nine to 17, with an additional 18 faculty members from other departments as associated and affiliated members. In 2009-10 it is offering 36 courses. In 2008-09, with 41 students, the center ranked in the top five out of Princeton's 42 certificate programs.